


alternative romantic plotlines & timeline study

by Rustyanklebraclet



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: (only briefly) - Freeform, Darkest Timeline, Episode Related, Episode: s02e04 Basic Rocket Science, Episode: s02e15 Early 21st Century Romanticism, Episode: s03e14 Pillows and Blankets, Episode: s03e22 Introduction To Finality, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29416722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rustyanklebraclet/pseuds/Rustyanklebraclet
Summary: "Troy, Abed, we are very happy for you, and would love to hear all about how you got together.”“Okay, sure,” Abed says. “In which timeline?”---a handful of the ways troy and abed fall in love
Relationships: Evil Troy Barnes/Evil Abed Nadir, Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 16
Kudos: 76





	alternative romantic plotlines & timeline study

**Author's Note:**

> is this sort of just a speedrun of my episode rewrites series? maybe.
> 
> actually, not. not maybe. definitely. ive been working on this since august tenth, and it's sort of like... okay, you know that story about when dreamworks was making shrek (at least i think it was shrek) how theyd banish people to the basment to go work on shrek if they werent good enough for the "serious" projects. yeah, that's what this is. it's just an amalgum of my ideas for my [episode rewrites series](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772773) that i couldnt flesh out into standalone fics, so when i had an outline that i knew couldnt be its own thing, itd go here.
> 
> also, if you've been following me on tumblr for a little bit, one of these may look familiar to you. in my defense, a) it's been edited a fair bit since i posted it in the summer, and b) i really like it and wanted to post it but felt weird just posting it as its own thing for some reason.
> 
> ok enjoy <3 also happy valentines day in two hours/whenever it is in your timezone <3

“Come in, come in!” Annie squeals, ushering everyone through the door.

There’s a flurry of hugs, hellos, and general overlapping chatter, and ten minutes later, they’re all seated in the living room of Annie’s apartment, which is definitely too small for all of them.

Jeff, Britta, and Craig are all on the couch, with Troy and Abed squeezed side-by-side into one armchair and Shirley in another one. Annie pulled a rickety wooden chair over from the small table in the corner, in an effort to be a good host, and Frankie has done the same, politely declining Britta, Jeff, and Craig’s insistence that there’s room on the couch (there isn’t).

Everyone had spent a few days in L.A. when Troy had first returned from his trip, but had to return to their lives very quickly. They had all wanted to get together as soon as possible, but Annie was having trouble getting time off work. So the logical move had been for everyone to come to Washington.

Troy wonders, now, just how logical this decision was.

“So, okay, group catch-up time. Who wants to go first?” Britta says, clapping her hands excitedly and looking around.

“Oh, um, actually,” Troy says, clearing his throat. His hand finds Abeds where it rests on his leg. “We have an announcement.”

They exchange a smile, and Abed opens his mouth to complete the statement, but their friends have apparently already gotten it, because there’s a rush of excited congratulations and support.

“Just, out of curiosity,” Annie asks, once the chatter has died down, voice high and hands wringing together like she’s trying far too hard to be casual, “exactly when and how did this happen?”

“For the betting pool?”

“What?” Jeff asks “Abed, there’s no betting pool. As much as you hate to admit it, this isn’t a sitcom where everyone is overly and unhealthily involved in their friends' lives. We have boundaries”

Frankie erupts into a violent coughing fit and Craig, somewhat awkwardly, reaches over to pat her on the back. Once she’s calmed down, Annie turns to Jeff.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that there’s _no_ betting pool...”

Britta shoots her an urgent look, and she ignores it.

“Then what would you say?” Jeff asks, narrowing his eyes.

“That there’s, you know,” she waves her hand noncommittally, as if trying to downplay the nervous squeak her voice has become “a betting pool that you don’t know about?”

“What? Since when?”

“Uhmmmm...” Annie trails off, scratching her head. She doesn’t look at Jeff as she speaks “2010.”

“2010?” Jeff asks, incredulous “why didn’t anybody tell me?”

“We didn’t _mean_ to keep it from you! It just never came up!”

“Who else was in on this?”

“Not that many people. Me, Britta, Craig, and Chang. Pierce wasn't involved when he was alive, but there was an allotment in his will, and Shirley knew but wasn’t involved because she said betting is wrong.”

“That’s not that bad-”

“- don’t interrupt me. Garret, Starburns, Neal, Abed's friend Karl. A few of the lunch ladies, the guys that played both Troy and Abed in the community college chronicles, Quendra-”

“Okay, I think he gets the picture!” Britta interrupts, clapping her hands together as Jeff fumes beside her. “Why don’t we get back to the matter at hand? Troy, Abed, we are very happy for you, and would love to hear all about how you got together.”

“Okay, sure,” Abed says. “In which timeline?”

* * *

“Just trust me,” Abed says.

Troy nods. A year ago, he would have said something about how he always trusts Abed, but that was a year ago. He doesn’t really say anything anymore.

_Sometimes I wonder if I should have let the troll win,_ Troy had written to him once, on a scrap of loose-leaf.

Abed hadn’t known what to say.

_Where are we going?_ Troy signs. The notepad he used to carry around had gotten old fast.

“Timeline five. I need to talk to that Abed. Remember how you found a nickel in the hallway two days after the housewarming party?”

Troy shrugs.

“Well, I believe that I would have found it that night if I had gone to get the pizza. I trust myself to have kept it, so we need to get it. It may be important.”

He holds out his hand. Troy takes it. It’s been a while since they’ve done that.

They’re supposed to end up in the same place. Except-

“Whose bedroom is this?” Troy asks, nudging a plastic bin of barbie dolls with his foot. He makes a face at the sound of his own voice, still not used to it, even after all this time.

“I’m not sure,” Abed says “we must not live here anymore.”

It’s just past one, so nobody is home. Abed takes a scarf off a rack by the door before they leave.

“Put this on. We need to pass for the versions of ourselves that exist in this timeline.”

It’s the middle of May. Troy does the sign for _hot_ , as though they’re not both wearing massive trench coats.

“I know. But we don’t have any other options.”

The neighbours across the hall see them leave the apartment, and give them an odd look. But that’s really more timeline five Troy and Abed’s problem.

Greendale having shit security is one thing they’re pretty sure they’ll be able to rely on across every timeline.

“Considering the fact that we were gone from the apartment, I’m not sure how many of us are going to be here,” Abed says “but it’s worth-”

“That’s not good.”

They turn around, and timeline five Abed is standing behind them.

“Am I hallucinating again?”

Real Abed shakes his head.

“We should probably take cover, then. Not everyone is as open to multi-dimensional theory as I am.”

They duck into a bathroom.

“I know you know to avoid the trope where you ask too many questions and we don’t accomplish the reason we’re here, but I'm saying it anyway. Timeline hopping is unstable and probably dangerous, so we don’t have time to chat. Do you have the nickel?”

“The one from the dinner party? I knew that would be important.” timeline five Abed says, trailing off for a moment to appreciate his own foresight “sort of. It’s here, but my Troy has it. It’s in the lining of my binder so it won’t get lost, but he’s using my notes.”

“Can you get him to bring it here?”

Timeline five Abed nods. Troy taps his Abed’s shoulder and does the sign for _write_. His ASL still isn’t great, and he doesn’t like talking in front of people that aren’t Abed (except for occasionally the other study group members), even when those people are also Abed.

“Do you have a pen and paper?” real Abed asks, and timeline five Abed nods, digging around in his bag. He pulls out a small notebook and a pencil.

 _This Troy is gonna flip his shit if he sees me_ , Troy writes.

“You’re probably right,” real Abed says to him. Troy nods, and timeline five Abed pulls out his phone and starts dialling.

“Don’t let him come in here and see us,” real Abed says to him as it rings. Timeline five Abed gives them a thumbs-up.

“Hey, babe,” he says, once the phone picks up. Troy and Abed share a look.

“Are you still studying?” there’s a pause. _Babe?_ Troy writes. Real Abed shrugs.

“Okay. I have to ask a favour, and I’ll explain later, but I don’t have time right now. Can you bring my binder to me? I’m in the bathroom by the pool.”

_Maybe it’s an inside joke that they have and we don’t?_

Abed shrugs again, seemingly not at all bothered by the whole thing.

“Okay, thanks. I love you.”

Timeline five Abed hangs up the phone, and evidently Troy and Abed are not doing a good job at hiding their confusion, because he asks,

“What’s wrong?”

Troy frowns, but real Abed just shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter. Is he bringing it?”

Timeline five Abed nods. “He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“Good.”

There’s silence for a moment, before Troy turns to Abed and signs _I’m asking him_

“Asking me what?” Timeline five Abed says, and they both turn to him in surprise.

“You sign?” real Abed asks.

“My Troy and I learned how so we could screw with Pierce. Asking me what?”

Troy pauses, frowning as he tries to figure out how to phrase his question.

Timeline five Abed watches him for a moment. “Troy and I are dating, if that’s what you’re confused about.”

Real Abed’s eyebrows shoot up, and he and Troy share a glance.

“Hm. I thought that was a constant,” timeline five Abed says, noticing their expressions, and then turning to Real Abed “I would have expected you, of all people, to have predicted this happening at some point if you were going to be timeline-hopping.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Real Abed says, dismissing him and ignoring the look Troy is giving him “we really need to-”

He’s cut off by a knock at the door.

“Abed? I brought your binder. What’s going on?”

The sound of timeline five Troy’s voice is jarring, and makes every nerve in Troy's body feel like it’s being doused in ice water. Real Abed has noticed his expression, and is eyeing him nervously as timeline five Abed steps out into the hall.

“Are you alright? I didn’t think about the fact that you’d have to hear your old voice.”

Troy shakes his head. _I’m fine._

Abed doesn't ask how it’s spelled, and Troy is grateful for it. It’s always the same nowadays.

Timeline five Abed comes back with the nickel, and they get back to their own timeline without much fanfare.

“That went better than expected,” Abed says to him, opening the door to the dreamatorium. Troy follows him into the kitchen, where he leans against the counter opposite while Abed pours two glasses of water.

“I knew I would have kept the nickel. I was just concerned about running into people.”

Troy nods, silently accepting the water Abed hands him. Timeline hopping makes them thirsty.

Troy can hear timeline five Abed's words ringing in his ears as his Abed drinks his water, lost in thought. _I thought that was a constant_. And Abed hadn’t really seemed all that surprised by it, either, just like that Abed had said.

They stand in silence for a moment, before Abed sets down his empty glass with a sigh. “This is a big step toward completing the plan.”

Troy reaches over, grabs the collar of Abed’s coat, and kisses him.

* * *

It’s quiet, as the three of them enter the apartment after the pillow war. Things are better for now, but there’s a conversation that they’re putting off having, and it’s making the air thicker than it should be.

It seems to be putting Annie on edge. She’s been impartial this whole time, and she clearly intends to stay that way, so she tries to make small talk, but their conversations can’t carry on for more than a few sentences. She stops trying, eventually, just walks between the two of them silently.

Troy unlocks the door, and the three of them filter into the kitchen. Annie suggests that they order a pizza, and neither of them argues.

“Can I trust you two to order it while I take this out to the dumpster?” she asks, tying a black garbage bag and giving them an annoyed look. They both mumble confirmations, and it’s enough for her, because she’s out the door a minute later.

Abed is standing against the counter across from the fridge, and Troy leans in the doorframe. they’re both completely still, avoiding eye contact, the low hum of the fridge and the buzz of the street below filling the air.

“We need to talk about it,“ says Troy, in a low voice. Abed’s eyes don’t move from the spot on the cabinet across from him that he’s staring at, but Troy can tell he’s heard him.

Troy moves to stand up straight, and then takes a step towards Abed.

“I’m serious.“

Abed’s eyes flick up to meet his. Troy feels exposed, standing in the middle of the dimly-lit kitchen, arms hanging limply at his sides.

He opens his mouth to speak again, but he stops as Abed stands up properly, and moves to walk past him, head turned away. Troy catches his wrist, and Abed faces him after he stops, nearly out of the kitchen. Abed gives the fingers curled around his skin an odd look, before he looks up and meets Troy’s eyes.

Troy feels a pang of guilt for grabbing Abed like that, and loosens his grip, but doesn’t let go. Abed doesn’t move.

“Look, I know that we said that magical hats would fix things, and maybe they will for now, but I just feel like there are clearly other problems here. I don’t want this to happen again in a few months because we ignored it now.“

There’s more heavy silence, and Troy is acutely aware of how warm Abed’s arm is in his hand. Troy takes a step closer, and, all of a sudden, there’s the hard press of lips to his.

His body processes what’s happening before his brain can, and he lets go of Abed’s wrist to wrap both arms around his neck as Abed’s hands come to cup his jaw. Their mouths are moving against each other hungrily, and it’s a bit of a mess, but Abed gasps into his mouth as Troy experimentally pushes his tongue forward, and it stops being a concern.

Abed manages to push him against the counter without breaking the kiss, which Troy would be impressed by if he wasn’t so focused on the thigh slotted between his legs. He bites down on Abed’s bottom lip, and Abed moves the aforementioned thigh further upwards, and they’re so caught up in all of it that they almost don’t hear the front door open.

They jolt apart like they’ve been burned, and Troy tries to take a mental image of Abed, mouth swollen and pupils so dilated you can barely see his eyes. Abed doesn’t break eye contact as he wipes his chin with the back of his hand, and he needs to not do things like that, because there’s heat pooling in the bottom of his stomach and Annie is going to be in this kitchen in approximately thirty seconds.

“Did you guys order it yet?“ Annie calls. there’s shuffling as she takes her shoes off, and neither of them responds. Troy doesn’t trust his voice right now, and it seems like Abed doesn’t either. but Abed turns away from him, walking briskly out of the kitchen.

“I’m going to take a shower before dinner.“ he says, and Annie shoots a strange look in his direction as she appears in the doorway and the bathroom door shuts rather firmly.

She looks at Troy expectantly.

“Did you order it yet?“

He shakes his head. “Sorry, no. We got distracted.”

She stares at him for several seconds longer than he’s comfortable with, and then snorts as she shakes her head. She rolls her eyes and pulls out her phone, walking over to the fridge to look at the number for the pizza place on the flyer that’s held up with a brightly-coloured magnet.

“What is it?“

“Men are all the same.”

Troy frowns. “Huh?”

”You’re all almost as bad at lying as you are communicating.“

* * *

The dorms in the AC repair school are stiflingly hot.

“It’s to remind us what the world would be like without The Society,” Drew, Troy's bunkmate, tells him. _The Society_. Capital-t, capital-s. It’s the kind of thing that in any other circumstances, Troy would find way cool. Now, though, he’s mostly just uncomfortable.

Troy nods, and Drew either doesn’t notice the uneasy expression on his face or doesn’t say anything. Troy thinks it might be the last one- both because Troy's never been very good at being subtle about his emotions, and because Drew seems a little put-off by all the insanity as well. Not nearly as much as Troy, but he’s already seen three separate people wearing talismans around their neck that match a ring he's seen Laybourne wear, so he’ll take what he can get.

They finish unpacking in silence. Troy had been very sternly informed several times that he wasn’t allowed to bring any sentimental items in, but his heart pangs as he glances down at the zipper on his duffel.

_“Are they searching your stuff?” Abed asks, sitting cross-legged on the bottom bunk as he watches Troy pack. Troy’s a little surprised to hear him speak- he doesn’t think Abed has said more than a dozen words to anyone since Troy told the group what he had agreed to._

_“Yeah. Pretty thoroughly, I think. There’s no way I can smuggle anything in.”_

_Silence, for a moment, before Abed abruptly stands and walks out of the fort. Troy hears clanging in the kitchen, and his heart pangs at the fact that he doesn't have time to go see what Abed’s doing, much less make sure that he’s alright._

_Abed comes back a minute or so later holding, inexplicably, the wire cutters from the toolbox they keep under the sink, and a paperclip. One of Annie's nice ones, that she’s always leaving scattered around the apartment- bright green, probably from that nice stationary store she got Troy to come with her to once._

_“What are those for?” Troy asks._

_“You’ll see,” Abed tells him “pass me your bag.”_

_He does, and Abed sits back down on the bottom bunk. Troy watches him cut the metal pull off the zipper, a vague protest caught in the back of the throat, stopped by the look of concentration on Abed's face. Abed carefully winds the paperclip into the bracket that once held the pull, and gives his handiwork a small, sad, half-smile once he’s done._

_“There,” Abed says “I know it’s not exactly sentimental, but it’s at least personal, and you’ll think of me- er, us, when you see it. If they ask, just say it’s because the original pull broke.”_

_Troy tries very, very hard not to cry, because the guy from the AC repair school is coming in less than an hour, and the study group will be there even sooner, but the sob bubbles in his chest as he chokes out a quiet “thanks,” and Abed’s arms are around him in a flash._

He rubs his thumb over the paperclip, catching on the sharp bit at the end where the metal protrudes from the plastic casing, and feels his chest tighten. He pushes the feelings away, though, reminding himself that he’s going to be back with Abed- back with everyone -before he knows it.

“Top or bottom?” Drew asks him.

“Bottom,” he says, firmly, knowing how weird it would feel to sleep on the top bunk with someone other than Abed below him.

He does make it out, eventually. He packs his things as quickly as he can manage, not wanting to deal with having to see this part of the school ever again. He smiles as he zips his bag closed. He’s so close to being free he can taste it.

He manages to dodge the questions, autograph requests, and general truest-repairman-related-swooning, and then he’s practically running through Greendale's halls in an attempt to find Abed.

He stops short when he catches sight of him, students and teachers alike scattered across the hallway as people file out of a classroom. He's talking to Britta, and Troy's last words to him are ringing in his ears as he watches the two of them lean into a hug.

_I know you hate when people do this in movies, but I have to make sure you know- I love you. I’ll see you soon._

Troy steps closer, but they still don’t seem to have noticed him, so he clears his throat.

“Mind if I cut in?”

He distantly registers Britta saying his name, but all he can focus on is the way Abed's face lights up at the sight of him. He drops his bag, and pulls Abed into a hug, taking the first deep breath that he’s had in days as he buries his head in Abed's shoulder.

“The confession just as you’re leaving was tragically lazy, by the way,” Abed says, after a moment, and Troy pulls back to look at him.

“Dick. like you could do better,” he says, but he’s laughing.

“I could do so much better. I can think of seventeen ways right now that I could have done it better than that,” Abed says, completely genuine, and Troy laughs again, because he knows it’s true.

* * *

“Okay, another.”

Troy puts a candy heart into the palm of Abed’s hand, and he puts it in his mouth. Only a few seconds go by, before-

“Be mine”

“Exactly!” Troy says, excitedly, before turning to Annie “I told you he was incredible.”

The valentine’s day dance had been, put lightly, something of a bust, but that was behind them now. Troy had wanted to share Abed's newfound secret talent with Annie, though she didn’t seem nearly as excited by it as Troy was. Troy and Abed sit cross-legged across from each other on the couch, with her on a dining chair that she had pulled over, watching them with a bemused expression.

“It’s impressive, for sure,” she says, moving to stand up “but I’m exhausted. Goodnight, guys.”

They both say goodnight, and she goes into her room.

“Do you want to keep going?” Troy asks, and Abed nods, reaching up to adjust his blindfold.

“Sure. this is fun.”

Troy hums in agreement, and hands Abed another.

“I’m sorry about Mariah,” he says, as Abed puts the candy in his mouth.

“It’s alright. I already said I didn't mind the whole thing. She wasn’t really my type anyway, I mostly just wanted to hang out with you. Also-” Abed pauses “ Call me. Pass me another.”

Troy does. “I liked hanging out with you too. I know I said all that stuff about both of us finding someone, but I’m sort of glad it’s just us for now. Is that weird?”

“Lovebug. And It’s not weird. I feel the same way. Another,” he says, holding out his hand, and Troy passes him a candy.

“You do? That’s good. Like, seriously, sometimes I think that it doesn’t even matter if I ever get married or something, as long as I can be with you.”

Abed pushes up the blindfold, and before Troy can ask what he’s doing, he says,

“Kiss me.”

Troy opens his mouth to tell him no, it said _sweetheart_ , but Abed shakes his head before he can get the words out.

“I don’t mean the game.”

Troy takes a few seconds to catch up, but when he does-

_Oh, shit._

He moves forward before he can think about it, and balances on his knees so he can wrap his arms around the back of Abed’s neck, and press their lips together

* * *

Panic is just starting to fully set in, creeping up from the pit of Troy's stomach to the base of his neck and making his breathing speed up, when he hears a familiar voice crackle over the thirty-year-old shitty radio.

“ _T_ _roy?_ ”

Troy shoves the headset on as fast as he can, relief crashing over him at the sound of his best friend’s voice “Abed?”

“I’m here, Troy. We’re going to get you guys home.”

Troy nods, even though he knows Abed can’t see him. Abed says something else, but Troy can’t hear him over Pierce’s yelling at the back of the shuttle. He’s yelling something at the screen, as Annie and Britta try and fail to calm him down.

All of a sudden, he’s jumping up from where he had settled against a pile of rubber tubes, and rushing full speed toward Troy. He hears the others scream as Pierce’s hands wrap around his neck, but his mind goes blank and all he can focus on is the frantic, staticky yelling coming from the headphones.

“Abed!” he calls out, sort of to no one, because Abed isn’t here, and Troy’s pretty sure the headset won’t pick it up with all the commotion.

His vision blurs around the edges as Pierce’s grip tightens and his breathing starts to grow short, and yet all he can think of his best friend. Abed’s soft gaze and gentle hands, the way he smiles when just for Troy, even when they’re in a room full of other people. The way that-

 _I may be about to die and the only thing I can think about is Abed_ , Troy thinks, and he has an epiphany that he thinks he probably should have had a long time ago. Or, at least, not seconds before his maybe-death.

The group gets Pierce off him, and Troy is left with his head spinning in more ways than one.

But there’s no time to worry about that. They have a fake launch to save.

Getting the window open is easier than Troy thought it would be (almost like the whole thing was built for children), and Pierce’s freakout actually ends up being helpful for once. The dean and Abed are directing Annie from Greendale, but there’s a pretty long stretch of empty road in the middle of the desert where she doesn’t need anything, and the two of them are just standing by.

Troy settles into his chair and slides on the headset

“Abed?”

“Troy?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Is everything alright?” Abed asks, and Troy vaguely regrets radioing him when he notes the tinge of anxiety.

“Yeah, buddy, we’re fine.”

“Oh.”

“I just wanted to talk to you,” Troy continues. “I wish you were here. This would be so much more fun with you.”

Troy’s cheeks heat at the sincerity of the words, but he looks around to see that no one is paying attention. Jeff is texting god knows who, because Troy is pretty sure there still isn’t cell service in the shuttle, and Shirley and Britta are still trying to keep Pierce calm, seemingly with somewhat more success.

“I wish I was there too,” Abed says, though he doesn’t sound bitter. Just sort of thoughtful. “but someone has to be home base. I don’t mind it being me.”

“I guess so. You’re pretty good at it.”

“Thanks,” Abed says, and Troy imagines the soft smile playing across his lips as he says it.

Troy’s about to say something else, but Annie's voice comes in over the headset, the way it strains doing a very bad job at covering the fact that she’s been eavesdropping.

“Hey, Abed? We’re just about to be back in Riverside, I’m gonna need some help here.”

Abed and Annie get into the matter of directions, and Troy removes the headset altogether, the urgency in both of their voices as they rush to get back to the school filling him with nervous energy. He goes back and sits with Shirley, Britta and Pierce, and Pierce actually apologizes to him. He does call him Colonel, but Troy supposes it’s the thought that counts.

The shuttle loudly skids into the Greendale parking lot, and very narrowly avoids hitting anyone in the massive crowd that’s gathered to watch their return. Troy hears the passenger door in the cabin open, revealing an onslaught of shouting from the crowd as Annie emerges. Then, the main door opens, filling the shuttle with bright white daylight, and the group stumbles out, dishevelled and exhausted.

He spots Abed instantly, bright orange jumpsuit popping out immediately. His heart stutters in his chest as Abed catches his eyes, and his whole face lights up. Troy pushes through the crowd, having to pause every few seconds to accept some form of congratulations from people that he’s pretty sure he has never seen in his life- seriously, who _are_ these people? - but he gets there eventually. He feels sort of breathless as he stares at Abed, and he distantly feels sort of silly for feeling so relieved to see him again, but he can’t help it.

And then, of course, fucking _Jeff_ comes in, congratulating Troy on a job well done. And, yes, he appreciates it, and the hug feels nice, because he does really look up to Jeff and they almost never do that, but he’s sort of got other things on his mind. Namely, getting to Abed as soon as possible.

Jeff finally lets him go, with a final clap on the shoulder, and Troy steps toward Abed, who has been watching the whole exchange with a grin. There’s, inexplicably, a cigar in his mouth, which he removes so he can speak to Troy.

“You did good,” he says, and Troy, who has been standing there sort of dumbly, with his arms hanging limp at his sides, springs to life, throwing his arms around Abed as he wraps him in a hug, which Abed returns. He pulls back after a long moment, keeping his arms secured around Abed’s neck. Abed stares at him intently, and his eyes drop to Troy’s lips for half a second. That’s all the invitation Troy needs to lean in halfway, leaving space for Abed to make the decision.

Abed, of course, is not someone that backs away from many things, _especially_ when those things are homages to classic movie tropes. This thought occurs to Troy slightly too late, as Abed has already closed the gap, and is moving his mouth against Troy’s in a way that fills every cell in Troy’s body with regret when he pulls away to ask-

“Is this just an homage for you?”

“No. Is it one for you?”

Troy shakes his head, sort of dazedly, and Abed mutters a string of _cool, cool cool cool_ , before leaning back in.

* * *

“Uh, guys?”

Annie’s voice snaps Troy back to reality, as the group stares at him and Abed expectantly. He shares a glance with Abed, and Troy has an inkling that they were thinking about the same thing.

“Sorry, spaced out for a sec,” Troy says.

“It’s alright. We’d all love to hear about how you two got together, though, if you’d like to share,” Shirley says.

“In this timeline,” Jeff says, still bothering to feign exasperation with their antics, even though everyone in the room knows just how fake it is.

Abed smiles. He holds his hands out in front of him, fully shifted into storyteller mode.

“We open on a clear night, in a studio apartment in downtown LA...”

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on [Tumblr](https://readandwritesilver.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/HOMINGPIGE0N) if you want
> 
> As always, any and all feedback is appreciated :)
> 
> Much love, Clover <3


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